Alan, of Lascelles Hall, has reached day 15 of his 20-day Land’s End to John O’Groats odyssey.

But pounding roads, hills and dales for 52 miles a day for almost three weeks is beginning to take its toll on the 52-year-old.

Alan has admitted that while his body is holding up under the punishing schedule, it’s the mental side that’s harder than he thought it would be.

“It’s mentally tough,” said Alan, a former rugby league player with Newsome Panthers and Moldgreen.

“I must admit I feel a bit weepy on a night but I am an emotional person. Sometimes I don’t know how I feel.”

Huddersfield Town fan Alan, a mechanical engineer at Weir Valves in Elland, hopes to raise £50,000 for the club’s Keep It Up campaign, which splits money between the youth academy and Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Alan hit a low point this week when he headed North from Leyburn, North Yorkshire.

“I was up at 3am and set off at 4am and it was pitch black,” he said.

“It was freezing cold, snowing and sleeting and when it got light I have never seen anything so bleak.

“At times you couldn’t see a hand in front of you. I had a photograph taken and it was only later that I realised the Town flag I was holding up was the wrong way round! I really struggled that day.”

Two things lift Alan’s flagging spirits – a daily raft of supportive messages on Twitter and when he is joined on route by fellow runners.

“Reading the messages on Twitter gives me a real boost,” he said. “I have tried to re-tweet messages but some nights I am even too tired to do that.”

As well as tweets from Town fans, family and friends, Alan has also had backing from famous people including Leeds Rhinos star Rob Burrow and Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton.

At the end of the day Alan has a massage and a cold bath and is usually in bed by 8pm.

His only regular company is his back-up driver and there are only two people he speaks to on his phone – fiancee Lorraine Kiernan, who he marries in August, and the Examiner!

Alan is currently around Kilsyth, a town half way between Glasgow and Stirling in North Lanarkshire.

He is due to reach the finishing line on Wednesday.

“When I get to John O’Groats make sure someone has a video camera,” said Alan.

“I will go absolutely mad. It will be better than Town winning at Wembley!”

To donate go to justgiving/actionman-uk and follow Alan on Twitter at @alanboothroyd1